The present invention relates to a device for the administration of liquids such as vaccines to a horse intranasally and to a method of administering liquids such as vaccines to a horse intranasally using this device.
Several traditional techniques for administering vaccines and other medical preparations to horses are known. One of those known techniques is intranasal vaccination. U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,513, for example, discloses intranasal application of flu vaccine to horses. Galan et al, "Mucosal Nasopharyngeal Immune Responses of Horses to Protein Antigens of Streptococcus equi", Infection and Immunity, March 1985, pages 623-628; Polly et al, "Protective Studies with a Group A Streptococcal M Protein Vaccine. Challenge of Volunteers after Local Immunization in the Upper Respiratory Tract", THE JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, Vol. 131, No.3, March 1975, pages 217-224; and D'Alessandri, et al, "Protective Studies with Group A Streptococcal M Protein Vaccine. III. Challenge of Volunteers after Systemic or Intranasal Immunization with Type 3 or Type 12 Group A Streptococcus", THE JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, Vol.138, No.6, December 1978, pages 712-718 each discuss intranasal challenges of horses.
The delivery of an intranasal vaccination to a horse presents special problems, however, because of the structure of the horse's nose. A vaccine should be delivered to the tonsilor tissue which is typically about 12 to about 20 inches (i.e., about 30 to about 50 cm) back from the nasal orifice. The normal technique for nasal application is by atomized spray as is discussed in the above mentioned D'Alessandri et al and Polly et al articles. However, delivery of an adequate dose into a horse's nose would require approximately five minutes and horses have virtually no tolerance for the hissing noise associated with such atomizers. Challenges such as those discussed in the above-mentioned Galan et al article are therefore normally conducted by sedating the horse prior to exposure to the atomized spray.
It would therefore be advantageous to develop a device to deliver a vaccine or other liquid antigenic material intranasally in a manner which did not require the use of the annoying atomizers or require sedation prior to administration of the vaccine.
Devices suitable for intranasal administration of antigenic materials to horses other than those discussed in the above-mentioned articles are not available commercially. Devices suitable for use by humans are not suitable for use in horses because of the significant difference between the nose structures of horses and of humans.